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Government of Cape City
The Cape City mayor and City Council oversee all municipal affairs in Cape City. As a charter city the City Council is able to pass initiatives to change the City Charter and change laws independent of the State of Florida. The City Council is comprised of nine members with five members elected from specific numbered areas designated City Districts, and the other four "at-large" members being elected by a citywide vote. The City council-members and the mayor all serve four-year terms. Though the Mayoral seat is restricted to two term limits the city councilors are not term limited. The City Council voting cycle is separated into two year cycles with the City Council members from districts 1, 3, 5 and two of the at-large councilors being elected one year and the City Council members from districts 2 and 4 as well as the other two at-large councilor members being elected two years later. City Hall Cape City Hall is located in central Midtown. The building was constructed in the Mediterranean Revival style with a massive symmetrical primary façade, stuccoed walls, red tiled dome shaped roof, arched windows, wrought iron balconies with window grilles, dramatic ornamentation and a lush garden. The Mayor often holds press conferences on the steps of City Hall in order to take advantage of the grandiose appearance of the building. At all hours of the day City Hall is a frenzy of activity housing the Mayor's Office, City Council Chambers and Offices, and the City Agency Offices. The Mayor's Office From the beginning the Cape City mayor's office has needed to be a strong counter to the industrial interests wealthy investors have had in developing the city. Previous mayors have been politicians with numerous connections in government, academia, and industry. They were elected on a platform of managing industrial interests and development so that ultimately the people of the city would prosper. For this reason Cape City has leaned towards a Strong Mayoral system where the Mayor directly selects Department Heads and administers the city budget with Council vote of approval and no additional public input. On the national level Cape City has always appeared to be a city in the state of becoming. Mayors have tried multiple methods to help draw Cape City into the national spotlight through ambitious public works projects and endeavors. The current mayor George Watts has started a campaign to get citizens of Cape City to show what makes them special, funding multiple initiatives to put the unique talents of the cities people on display. A life-long resident and a Doctor of Education, Mayor Watts believes in curing the ills of society through education and community activism. He has a deep belief in the good that his city can accomplish and despite push back from industrial lobbyists and long-established bureaucrats the public is on his side and many believe that Mayor Watts is the best bet for the future of Cape City. 'Mayor George Watts (Democrat)' Geo W George Watts came from humble beginnings. He never knew his father and was raised by his single mother, a teacher at Cape City High and a Sunday School teacher at their Lutheran church. His mother taught him to appreciate the opportunities he had growing up and taught him to give to others through participation in community service and charity events hosted by their church and High School. While he was in middle school his mother began inviting a young boy named Danny from their church to eat meals with them and stay at their house from time to time. George and Danny became fast friends. As it turns out Danny's family was poor and ill equipped to deal with Danny's learning disabilities but Mary Watts did her best to help provide Danny with food, clothing, tutoring, and toys alongside her own son. This period taught George much about caring for those who were different and in need. After excelling in high school George went on to Sun Coast University where he graduated with a bachelors degree in Economics and a Doctorate in Education. During his time at university he would meet his future wife Lily. After graduating George spent several years teaching at SCU and organizing community initiatives. Soon after his son, Ethan, began attending high school George was struck by the desire to run for Mayor and help make Cape City a better place from the top down. He had a hard fought campaign but appealed to citizens on the grounds of wanting to increase access to public services, better the education system, and achieve fair treatment for superhumans and other exonormals. He won in a landslide and the 45 year old became Cape City's newest mayor. Mayor Watts has a long road ahead of him but with the city's support he hopes to make a positive change in his community. Despite being in his mid-40s George has managed to take care of himself throughout the years in part due to his wife's focus on healthy living. He stands at a thin 6'2", his dark brown hair complemented by grey streaks along his temples. He has kind green eyes and an infectious smile that betrays his nature as an educator. Despite his seemingly soft demeanor with children and his constituents George can prove to be a strong impassioned figure when fighting for what he believes in, and he believes in Cape City. The City Council Cape City is divided into five council districts; Downtown, West Cape, Midtown, North Cape, and Fort Myers. Each district has an elected representative on the city council. In addition to these five councilors there are an additional four that are elected in city-wide elections bringing the grand total to nine. Due to the lack of term limits for city councilors, they have a tendency to be career politicians with more conservative views, interested in preserving the status quo and keeping their constituents content. Councilors often have ties to major businesses in the city and interest groups. Currently the council is split between support for and against Mayor Watts with most issues liable to go through much discussion before it comes down to a vote. Mayor Watts saving grace however is widespread public approval which aids him considerably in continuing to pass the items in his platform. Carmelo (D) Eli (I) Meredith (D) Sarosh ® Isabel (D) Alex V ® Adam A ® Bili D ® Tyler H (D) City Commissions The City Council and Mayor appoint individuals to serve on over 70 boards and commissions. Members influence decisions affecting the city by providing advice and feedback on matters including human services, land use, superhuman activity, civil rights, and other issues facing Cape City. A few notable commissions are listed below. 'Commission on Superhuman Activity' 'Commission on Economic Development' 'Commission on Law Enforcement' City Departments Cape City employs thousands of individuals to help run the day to day processes of the city. These employees are split among 40 different departments. The heads of these departments are directly appointed by the Mayor and approved by the city council. The details of a few important departments are listed below. Cape City Fire Department Cape City Police Department Department of Education Department of Exonormal Affairs Department of Planning and Development Department of Public Works District Attorney's Office Medical Examiner's Office Parks and Recreation